Hakumen is one of the Six Heroes who combated the Black Beast in the series` backstory almost a century ago. After the war, he was sealed away in the boundary along with Terumi, who had betrayed the other five heroes. Kokonoe salvages a portion of his existence from the boundary and he resumes his quest for justice and to exact revenge on Terumi. His Nox Nyctores, Ookami, has the power to negate most Ars Magus and possessing the Susano'o unit allows him to freely slash through time and space.

On the gameplay side, Hakumen boasts a unique trait among the cast. Hakumen requires heat to use any of his special moves and as such, meter management is an important aspect to learn. the amounts required are muplies of 1/8 of the entire heat meter, but to make this easier for the player to identify, his heat meter is displayed using 8 "Magamata" stocks and the bar underneath shows the progress towards generating the next one. The magatama can still be used as normal for universal mechanics such as rapid cancels in the normal way, with 4 magatama equalling 50% of a normal heat gauge and 2 equalling 25%. Unique to Hakumen is that his heat gauge will steadily increase at all times, rather than just at critical health (For Hakumen, this simply increases the gain further), furthermore, Hakumen starts each round with one Magamata already available.

While it might seem rather limiting to need to spend heat to perform any special move, Hakumen is also one of the few characters who can cancel his specials into each other and none of his specials experience same move proration, making his potential damage extremely high once he has the heat available. He also boasts having some of the best normal moves in the game, with his sword moves covering nearly the entire match start range of the screen. Hakumen also has a solid defense with his drive described below, Meaning overall Hakumen is a fairly well-rounded character with many high risk tools at his disposal for many situations, so his playstyle rewards careful patient play.

Zanshin projects a shield-like energy barrier that, when triggered by an opponent's attack, will negate said attack and follow-up with a invincible, but blockable, counter-attack. If a physical attack triggers Zanshin, the opponent is frozen in place making the follow-up inescapable. Also, the guardpoint protects and triggers on either sides of Hakumen, allowing him to catch any cross-ups. This gives Hakumen an effective counter to use against many of his opponent's options. In addition, many of Hakumen's normals cancel into his Drive. This makes Zanshin not only a great defensive tool, but an offensive one as well, countering attacks that may exploit holes in Hakumen's blockstrings. As an added bonus, a successful catch with Hakumen's drive will gain 1 magmata, which may be used immediately to special cancel if desired.

Kishin greatly increases the magatama recharge rate as well as adding additional properties to his Distortion Drives. If combined with his Mugen distortion drive, his heat loss is frozen for the duration of the overdrive.

Hakumen bops the other character on the chin to remind them to keep a stiff upper lip while getting OD'd for 8k. Standard standing jab. It whiffs on everyone crouching except Haku and Tager, and since everyone blocks downback by default, be careful using it carelessy. Whiffing it on a crouch blocker can be useful for a throw setup. Due to the 5-frame start-up and its safety, it's a useful anti-air, but its also has a pretty short range so don't forget your other anti airs in 6A, 2C, 5C, or even 5D. It can be delayed-cancelled into 5B and gatlings into 3C, any D move, and throw.

One of Hakumen's best normals for its amazing range, usefulness as a starting move, and it being safe on block. With proper spacing, it can beat out a lot of approaches. It can be delayed-cancelled into 5A and 2A and it gatlings into any D move. It's also jump-cancellable on block, which can lead to 50/50 with TK Tsubaki and Renka.

This is one of the best normal move Hakumen has to start combos with. This makes it a great move to reset into as well. It is a somewhat decent anti-air and can be linked into itself on an anti-air. 5C does not gatling into another normal move. However, it can be special-cancelled, usually into Kishuu > Enma, Gurren or Zantetsu.

This is arguably one of the farthest-reaching 2A of the cast, making it a great footsie tool. Hakumen's 2A is also quick and has advantage on block, giving the player an effective way to beat out poorly spaced attacks on the ground. It can be delay-cancelled into itself, 2B, 5A, and 5B. It gatlings into 6A, 3C, any D move, and throw.

Good active frames make it good for checking approaches, catching rolls, and as a meaty.

With its superior range, quick start-up, this is one of Hakumen's best moves for footsies. Many ground approaches and attacks can be beat outright by the reach of the hitbox on this move. This is also has a 8-frame startup for a low, making it a great move to keep your opponent honest. It can be delayed-cancelled into 2A and 5A. It gatlings into any D move.

A good anti-air due to its invincibility and vertical reach, which also makes it an ideal way to punish blocked/whiffed aerial Bursts. It's also great at covering a lot of space at once and has a large window in which it will cut projectiles. However, it is a bit slow and very punishable on whiff. If blocked on or low to the ground, you can cancel into Gurren to make it safe. 2C does not gatling into any other normal move.

A very good move on your opponent's wake up due to its low invincibility, which makes its immune to wake up 2A's. In prior versions, 6B couldn't really yield any damage, but now Hakumen can finally get some reward if you Rapid Cancel or get a CH. Be wary though to not abuse this move as it has a lot of recovery and is negative on block. Can only be combo off of on CH, rapid cancel, or after a high 6A hit.

Unless used to end an excessively prorated combo, or a combo with a bad starter, 6B as a combo ender gives Hakumen decent okizeme options; he can choose between meaty normal or a safejump.

6C has a pretty large horizontal hitbox, which can make the opponent afraid to do a ground to ground approach, but its long recovery and slow startup makes it a poor zoning tool against mobile characters. It can also be cancelled into Shippu for a great amount of damage (About 4.5K), link into 5C/Guren>5C, or link into Zantetsu at max range. It can be used to punish some DP such as Ragna and Jin's 623C. If aerial hit 6C is used to end combos, Hakumen gets a long enough knockdown to go for a DP-safe safejump mixup.
It also serves as a limited substitute for 4C on characters who can easily low profile or go over 4C, but its slow startup means it can only be used in this way when supplemented with strong movement.

A very fast and far reaching poke.Can combo(if used 1 step away from target) into 6A 6B in CF.Can no longer combo into 2C/5C on counter hit. It's still a great starter with few magatamas and lead to sideswap combo while cornered. This move should be used sparingly, as it is easily punished on block or if it whiffs.

Ending combos with 3C tacks on some damage but ruins any attempts at solid okizeme.

4C has been overhauled and now serves as one of Hakumen's best tools for keeping the opponent at bay. It can be punished on Instant Block though, and many characters can simply dash under or uses moves that low profile (Such as Jin's 2D) to avoid it, so be wary when using it. It can be linked into Guren on Counter Hit and is also Distortion-Drive-cancellable.

A pretty decent tool for air to air situations, and for setting up a Throw Reject Miss on an unsuspecting opponent. Because it is able to link into J.B, its also pretty good for setting up throws on an air to ground approach. If you can get an airdash mixup on an opponent, this is also your only viable way to land and attempt a tick throw.

One of Hakumen's fastest moves for cutting the opponent's projectiles, and decent Air to Air tool. It only gatlings into j.C, so if you use this for a jump-in at too high a height, you will land at frame disadvantage.

A move very good for jump ins, and for crossing the opponent up due to its unique hitbox. Like with j.A, it can also be used to setup ground throws off an Air to Ground approach. On okizeme, Hakumen can choose between forward jump j.B and dashjump j.B (which crosses up) for a fairly ambiguous 50/50 mixup that can be OSed to block DPs if the knockdown is good enough.

This is pretty much the go-to tool for Hakumen's air to air game. It's hitbox extends all the way from the tip of Hakumen's blade to his shoulder, which makes it great for spacing in the air. It blows the opponent back on hit, and wall sticks in the corner. Has a plethora of followups depending on height and distance from corner, but Hotaru is the most universal followup.

On tall characters falling j.C is also a strong zoning tool. Bear in mind its slow startup means that it must be used preemptively if it is to cover low air-to-air confrontations.

Decent air to ground tool, it has a bigger hitbox than J.B but is slower and it's harder to combo after it. Its slow speed makes it easy to anti-air so don't get too predictable with it. The high attack level makes this your best safejump normal.

The attack follow up is no longer triggered when catching a projectile (but Hakumen becomes invincible during the entire recovery) and a magatama is only given when the attack is successful. Instead, when catching a projectile, the recovery can be canceled into any special or Distortion Drives (except Astral). If canceled into Yukikaze, it will automatically activates, won't freeze the opponent and deal 2800 damage if it hits.

A mid and low counter that is active frame 1. On hit it puts the opponent behind Hakumen, useful for corner switching with an opponent. Loses to overheads, but then it would have probably been in recovery any by then.

Where 5D is a safer prediction move with a potentially bigger reward, this is more akin to a reversal, going active in 1 frame but having bad recovery. Like 5D, catches all moves a standing guard would block. Sometimes used after 6A or 6B to catch attempts at poking out.

Hakumen needs his air throw more than most other characters since the natural gaps in his pressure make it easy to jump out of.

The first hit can't be canceled with a special or overdrive anymore, furthermore its hitstun was drastically nerfed, which means that 1.0 infamous touch-of-death combos are no longer possible.
The last hit can be combo'ed into J.B, J.2C or 2B depending on the height.

Good hitbox for a counter assault, as it can't be low profiled and has decent reach. It's not used very often because spending 4 stars to knock someone away makes it hard to pressure or mix up an opponent later.

One of Hakumen's new moves in which he swipes at the opponent with the sheathe of his sword. Causes guard crush on normal blocking, and is plus on barrier block, making it extremely hard to punish. Because of Crush Trigger's property of ignoring the combo rate, it finds its primary use a lot in combo filler, particularly off of a throw, and during Overdrive.

Appears when Hakumen's sword connects with a projectile or a move with projectile property. Disappears after 91 frames or if it connects with the opponent. If a projectile connects with it, the 91 frame count down is reset. If both hakumen's sword and his body connect with the projectile on the same frame, Hakumen is hit instead of the projectile being destroyed.

Has extra good reach when dash canceled into. Allows Hakumen to combo into Zantetsu from almost any move. If used from short ranges, Guren can be used as an alternative to Kishuu as a setup for tick throws on opponents conditioned to respect its frame advantage.

Kishuu after Renka(1) leaves Hakumen at neutral with the opponent. There is no longer a gap between the two hits, so it is no longer possible to DP in between the hits. The first hit now staggers; The second hit now sends the opponent upwards, and is jump-cancellable.

It has the fastest startup of any of Hakumen's grounded specials, so using it to cover unsafe specials gives tighter frametraps than Guren.

Briefly invulnerable. Hakumen floats up when used making it whiff almost everyone on your wake up, making it not a good wake up option unless they're going for a throw. Still hits far above him making it a good anti-air. It's now a Short/Fast starter.

Hotaru is a fairly important combo piece as it allows you to do damaging combos that end in 5C, 6A 6B, or 6C, all of which give you much better knockdowns than Agito. As long as the combo route is not overly prorated these enders allow you do do a safejump high/low mixup that is mostly DP-safe, which is an option you want to represent in your okizeme against DP-happy opponents.

Low-cost knockdown tool. Counts as a projectile, which can let it beat antiairs that are only head invul. On counter hit, it ground bounces and combos into j.2C or j.A/j.B depending on the height. Now moves Hakumen forward a little. Agito also gives Hakumen a safer, more ambiguous crossup than j.B but does not lead into damage on normal hit. If Hakumen still has his airdash, TK Agito and hop Agito can be used to end low-altitude combos while setting up a safejump mixup. On Okizeme, whiffing hop agito (66214A) after a good knockdown like 6A6B leaves hakumen travelling forwards very close to the ground and makes for an ambiguous high/low mixup between j.B and 2B.

Agito knockdowns after full aerial strings do not leave you at very good frame advantage and are generally weak against DPs.

OD version fires a taller, Reppuken-esque energy wave to the slash, which hits higher up than normal and wallbounce everywhere.

The energy wave has better proration than the actual slash, so midscreen OD combos may benefit more from sending the opponent away, bouncing them with the projectile and continuing the combo than straight up hitting them with the slash.

Freezes opponents in place if it catches a strike; yukikaze is RC-proof on strikes

Does not freeze if it catches projectiles

Attack

3200

Unblockable

1+33

12

39

-

B

Attack (OD)

1800, 150*18, 2100

Unblockable

1+33

12

39

-

B

Fatal Counter

Hakumen dashes forward with a sword swing that hits everything that is chest level or lower. Hakumen is fully invincible during the recovery of Yukikaze, so it can work be used to escape corner projectile oki.

Requires 8 magatama, but does not consume any upon startup. Instead, his heat gauge is rapidly depleted and the effects of this move end only when the heat gauge has emptied.

During Mugen, all specials and distortions may be used with no cost.

Gauge drain stops during OD

Cannot use Rapid Cancel or Counter Assault while in Mugen

Reduces Hakumen's character combo rate to 30% (Basically halves the damage of all hits in a combo except the first)

Hakumen's infamous infinite mode, allowing for some massively damaging combos. However all heat gain during this time is ignored, meaning it's not possible to pad out the duration of this with anything other than Overdrive. If your opponent gets their own combo in, you're likely going to have all of your heat gone by the time you can act again. Its very long recovery makes it difficult to combo into.
Mugen also gives Hakumen incredible mixup, so one of the better ways to use Mugen is to use it as a setup after a landed 6B. Do not use it this way if your opponent has meter to rapid cancel a DP.